mothball

[ mawth-bawl, moth- ]
/ ˈmɔθˌbɔl, ˈmɒθ- /

noun

a small ball of naphthalene or sometimes of camphor for placing in closets or other storage areas to repel moths from clothing, blankets, etc.

verb (used with object)

to put into storage or reserve; inactivate.

adjective

inactive; unused; stored away: a mothball fleet.

Idioms for mothball

    in mothballs,
    1. in disuse or in storage, especially with reference to standby equipment.
    2. (of ideas) dismissed as unworthy of further deliberation.

Origin of mothball

First recorded in 1905–10; moth + ball1

Words nearby mothball

moth, moth bean, moth mullein, moth orchid, moth-eaten, mothball, mothballs, mother, mother carey's chicken, mother cell, mother church

Words related to mothballs

perpetuate, protect, save, secure, uphold, defend, freeze, keep, sustain, retain, safeguard, conserve, store, suspend, waive, prolong, hoard, hide, stash, accumulate

Example sentences from the Web for mothballs

  • We rented the house, put our belongings in mothballs, and left on February 20.

    Life After AIPAC's False Dichotomies |Angela Zimmann |September 4, 2013 |DAILY BEAST

  • He smelled faintly of mothballs and looked very respectable.

    Sugar Plum |Reginald Bretnor

  • The house was over-warm, and there was a musty smell of over-aged furniture, old leather, and the pungence of mothballs.

    The Fourth R |George Oliver Smith

  • No more, no more will robins nest within their lilac shade, for they are folded now and pressed, and with the mothballs laid.

    Uncle Walt [Walt Mason] |Walt Mason

British Dictionary definitions for mothballs

mothball
/ (ˈmɒθˌbɔːl) /

noun

Also called: camphor ball a small ball of camphor or naphthalene used to repel clothes moths in stored clothing, blankets, etc
put in mothballs to postpone work on (a project, activity, etc)

verb (tr)

to prepare (a ship, aircraft, etc) for a long period of storage by sealing all openings with plastic to prevent corrosion
to take (a factory, plant, etc) out of operation but maintain it so that it can be used in the future
to postpone work on (a project, activity, etc)

Idioms and Phrases with mothballs

mothballs

see put in mothballs.